Photo by James Martin

We see Mala Celebrations as a garland of yogis, dedicating their practice of 108 Sun Salutations to the health and well being of all living beings. 108 has long been considered a sacred number in Hinduism and yoga. Traditionally, malas, or garlands of prayer beads, come as a string of 108 beads (plus one for the “guru bead,” around which the other 108 beads turn like the planets around the sun). Below are a few of the Mala events happening around Greater Washington this September.  Know of another? Please email us at virginiayogaweek at yahoo dot com.

108 Salutes to the Sun
Sunday, September 18, 12:30pm
108 Sun salutes to celebrate National Yoga Month and the Autumnal Equinox. Savasana included! No RSVP required.

Sacred Well Yoga Studio
450 W Broad St. Stes 319-320
Falls Church VA 22046
703.989.8316
 
Charity: Falls Church Community Services Council 
Suggested Donation: $10

Global Mala DC
Sunday, September 18, 2pm
Join DC yogis and activists of all traditions in 108 Sun Salutations to raise our community vibration beyond the borders of mat, studio, and style.

Click here for list of event locations.

Charity: Anahata Grace

108 Sun Salutations in Celebration of the Autumnal Equinox
Thursday, September 22, 6:30pm
Join the Little River Yoga Community for the 24th quad-annual practice! All levels welcome! come do 1, 8 or all 108!

Little River Yoga, north
6025 Wilson Blvd
Arlington, VA 22205
703.203.8510

Charity: Dr Heidi’s Haitian Relief
Suggested donation: $10-20

Mala Celebration at River’s Edge Yoga
Sunday, September 25, 1:30pm
In honor of the week of the Autumnal Equinox, River’s Edge will offer our take on 108! Hip and heart openers will keep you flowing through your practice.

River’s Edge Yoga
300 Montgomery Street, suite 201
Alexandria, VA 22314
571.218.2161

Charities: Exalted Warrior Foundation, Give Back Yoga and YoKid
Suggested donation: $20

What’s a mala celebration you ask? We see it as a garland of yogis, dedicating their practice of 108 Sun Salutations to the health and well being of all living beings. Why 108? 108 has long been considered a sacred number in Hinduism and yoga. Traditionally, malas, or garlands of prayer beads, come as a string of 108 beads (plus one for the “guru bead,” around which the other 108 beads turn like the planets around the sun).

If you teach yoga and plan on providing a mala celebration, please answer the following questions in an email to virginiayogaweek@yahoo.com by Wednesday, August 31. Thank you and Namaste!

Event title:

Venue/Studio:

Date/Time:

Charity:

Suggested donation:

Description (max of 3 sentences):

Web Page Link:

Phone Number:

We hope you can join us as we close out Virginia Yoga Week 2011!

Sunday, June 19, 3:30pm-5:30pm
@ Montgomery Park
Old Town Alexandria 

Sure, it’s Father’s Day, treat your Dad to some yoga!

Acro yoga demo + intro to Acro
Flow Yoga with a restorative savasana
Family Yoga
Hear the sweet sounds of the crystal bowls
Meet & Mingle!
FOOD DRIVE to benefit 2 and 4 legged critters!
Raffle drawing and MORE!

Refreshments courtesy of  Honey Drop and smartwater®. 

Proceeds to benefit Carpenter’s Shelter, King Street Cats, Dogs XL Rescue, and Dog World Rescue.

Complete our waiver online and bring it with you to the event.  In the event of rain, we’ll move to CrossFit Old Town.

More Free, $5, and karma classes are happening around Virginia this weekend.  Check our classes page for more info!

Friday, June 17

Our view for practice!

Schedule:
6:30-6:45pm
Invocation with Maureen Clyne

6:45pm-8pm
Family Yoga with YoKid
Flow Yoga with Kathy Judd

8-8:30pm
Speakers & Snacks

8:30-9:30pm
Yoga Nidra with Karen Soltes AND Kirtan with Wynne Paris!

Refreshments courtesy of  Whole Foods and Honey Drop

 And more FREE and $5 classes at studios today!  Check our classes page for details!

Class listing by studio

Class listing by day

Community Events – Join Us!

Friday, June 17
Yoga on the Potomac
6:30-9:30pm @ Collingwood Library & Museum
Proceeds to benefit Give Back Yoga & YoKid
$20 suggest minimum donation
Please arrive by 6:15pm to complete our waiver, or fill it out online and bring it with you to the event.

Schedule:
Invocation with Maureen Clyne 6:30-6:45pm
Family Yoga with YoKid 6:45pm-8pm
Flow Yoga with Kathy Judd 6:45-8pm
Speakers & Snacks 8-8:30pm
Yoga Nidra with Karen Soltes/Kirtan with Wynne Paris 8:30-9:30pm

Refreshments courtesy of  Whole Foods and Honey Drop

Sunday, June 19 – Closing Event
Free Yoga in the Fresh Air
3:30pm-5:30pm @ Montgomery Park in Old Town Alexandria 
corner of North Royal and Montgomery Streets

Acro yoga demo + intro to Acro
Flow Yoga with a restorative savasana
Hear the sweet sounds of the crystal bowls
Meet & Mingle!
FOOD DRIVE to benefit 2 and 4 legged critters!
Raffle drawing and MORE!

Refreshments courtesy of  Honey Drop and smartwater®. 

Proceeds to benefit Carpenter’s Shelter, King Street Cats, Dogs XL Rescue, and Dog World Rescue.

Complete our waiver online and bring it with you to the event.

Join BelovedYoga for Love Your Body
Virginia Yoga Week opening event
TODAY (6/12) from 9am-4pm

Odisa Walker
C0-owner

Vinyasa & Hatha Flow

My dad introduced me to yoga as a child but I FOUND it for myself much later on. I personally came to yoga or came back to yoga in my early 30’s. Once I stepped into a vinyasa/flow based class I couldn’t ignore how it fed my soul and really made me accept who I was and it has never stopped feeling like it is feeding my soul. This will be a lifelong practice for me and I love that I am able to share this love of yoga with others.

What motivates you to practice today?
I love the feeling of being grounded, being connected. The practice helps me to remember that everything is gonna be allright.

What effect has yoga had on your students?
I think they see and feel the physical benefits initially and then can’t help but feel the deeper more beautiful part of yoga which is the mental and spiritual. If they just want a workout they will go take a kickboxing class but what keeps them coming is this mental and spiritual awakening.

What do you enjoy most about the yoga community in Virginia?
We opened BelovedYoga almost 6 years ago with the intention of building a yoga community, a place to practice what we love and to find other like-minded souls. Since then we have watched the yoga community flourish and grow not only within our studio but the many studios that have opened since. Yoga is amazing wherever you practice and I think the most wonderful part of the yoga community in Virginia is that it is growing by leaps and bounds. Truly a beautiful thing!

Check out the class offerings from BelovedYoga during Virginia Yoga Week!

Hope Lambert
Yoga Instructor
Ashtanga Vinyasa and Gentle/Intro

What motivates you to practice today? 
It’s simple. I feel better when I practice – mentally and physically.  But I am also lucky in that Stair Calhoun, owner of Little River Yoga, opens her home studio to teachers and students for early morning Mysore classes and self-practice. It’s so much easier to practice when there is a community of like-minded people practicing together.

What effect has yoga had on your students?
My students have found many physical benefits from  lessened back pain to greater ability to perform the sports they enjoy. Along with the physical benefits, often come mental, emotional and spiritual benefits that the students attribute to their practice.  The strong sense of community, Sangha is another important benefit of a regular yoga practice.

What do you enjoy most about the yoga community in Virginia? 
The yoga community in Virginia is very welcoming and warm. Stair has maintained (since 2001) a list of local yoga teachers and has helped many studios, gyms and other individuals find yoga teachers free-of-charge. This is just one example of teachers supporting one another in Northern Virginia. It’s a pleasure to be a part of this yoga community.

Little River Yoga (Alexandria, VA, and soon to be Arlington) offers yoga classes based on the Krishnamacharya lineage (Ashtanga, Iyengar, Viniyoga style).  Additionally we offer Vinyasa, Gentle, and Rocket as well as a workshops ranging from yoga philosophy to refining challenging poses.   In September, Little River Yoga will expand to a second location on Wilson Boulevard in Arlington, VA.   Our class sizes are small, ranging from 5 – 15 students per class, so we are able to provide a personal approach to teaching. 

Check out the class offerings from Little River Yoga during Virginia Yoga Week!

Cindy Wargo
Director

www.swys.net

What classes do you teach?
Sacred Well Studio offers several levels of Hatha Classes based on the student’s needs and proficiency. We also have several specialty classes including Yoga for 50+, Vinyasa, Kids, Gentle, and Prenatal.

What motivates you to practice today?
Stress management, my yoga practice helps me to look at the world through rose-colored glasses!

What effect has yoga had on your students?
I see some students when they come in are tight everywhere, shoulders up, scowling, generally looking miserable and stressed. But the post-savasana bliss leaves them looking fabulous, glowing, and smiling. You can actually see the change in their physical body.

Tell us about the charity you chose.
We hold a Class for Charity as part of the Falls Church First Friday festivities. The first Friday of each month is a donation-based class and 100% of all funds collected go to our charity of the quarter. We choose charities that are local, based on the “think globally, act locally” philosophy. Our charity this quarter (and for VYW), Culmore Clinic, is a free clinic in Falls Church that offers services to people below the poverty level that live in our community.

What do you enjoy most about the yoga community in Virginia?
We’re very supportive of one another. I’ve found that other teachers and studios are always willing to talk and share ideas.

Since 1999, Sacred Well Yoga Studio, LLC has offered Hatha yoga classes in the City of Falls Church.  Sacred Well is a community-based studio in which students practice in a safe, non-competitive environment. We hope that you will come try a class with us!

Check out the class offerings from Sacred Well Yoga Studio during Virginia Yoga Week!

Anusara®
Iyengar

www.healthadvantageyoga.com

What classes do you teach?
Yoga classes at The Health Advantage Yoga Center are based on the Anusara® style taught by John Friend and the Iyengar style developed by B.K.S Iyengar. Courses are heart-oriented and spiritually inspiring with a focus on each person’s optimal alignment in the poses. Classes are taught progressively and instructors encourage students to listen to their bodies and move at their own pace. Deep relaxation is taught in each class after completion of the postures. Classes include Gentle Yoga, Yoga 1 through Yoga 4, Vinyasa, Yin, Prenatal, and classes for kids and teens.  Our newest classes are Movement, Breath & Meditation, and Lunchtime Yoga.

What effect has yoga had on your students?
Our students have reported that yoga has reduced their stress, helped them sleep, improved their moods, made them more aware of their bodies, increased their flexibility and strength, and reduced aches and pains. 

Tell us about the charity you chose.
Our karma yoga class to benefit Reston Interfaith is on Saturday, June 18 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.  Reston Interfaith has served the Reston, Herndon, and Fairfax communities since 1970 and is well-known for the aid it has provided so many.

What do you enjoy most about the yoga community in Virginia?
The people we meet through yoga are so caring and giving that it is always a pleasure to be around fellow yoginis.

The Health Advantage Yoga Center features well-trained, professional instructors, progressive teaching methods, a non-competitive and encouraging atmosphere, a flexible make-up policy for missed classes, and a beautiful light-filled facility.   We offer a week of free sample classes each quarter before the beginning of each session.  Come join us!

Check out the class offerings from The Health Advantage Yoga Center during Virginia Yoga Week!

Students at Flow Yoga in Leesburg

Marcia Hoffheins, Manager

Vinyasa Yoga Classes

www.gowithityoga.com

What motivates you to practice today?
The practice brings inner peace, strength and joy to my life.

What effect has yoga had on your students?
I/We see people transform – not just physically but spiritually and emotionally. We’ve seen yoga create a great sense of community and coming together of people that would probably have never met each other had they not found their common light.

Tell us about the charity you chose.
We are  offering Karma classes all month for CARE – an organization that helps those in our community who otherwise could not afford to keep their pets. We support many organizations every year on the national and local level – we believe that our pets need the same CARE and support/love that we are able to give to one another.

Flow Yoga offers a variety of classes based on 2 systems – Ashtanga and Universal Yoga. We are dedicated to enriching the lives of all those who come through our doors, for sharing all of our knowledge and delivering more than a physical practice to those who attend our classes.

Check out the class offerings from Flow Yoga, Go With It! during Virginia Yoga Week!